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Topic: Controlling Direct TV STB (Read 5803 times)

OK here it goes my first post. I have done a considerable amount of reading and have managed to bring the system from not booting at all to booting storing media and configuring a GC-100 without having to post a question. But I give up on this one. My problem is that there is not a template for the DirectTV H21-200 STB I did manage to find the pronto codes and make my own template. I am able to test the codes using the infrared codes button under the advanced menu. It seems to work great. I do not have a TV card in the core at the moment. The core is located in a electronics closet up stairs along with 4 H21-200 STBs. I am using a laptop as an orbiter. What I want to do is control the STB's in the electronics closet via the laptop. I am not sure what menu to use on the orbiter to link to the H21-200 template to change channels, use the guide etc. Linux MCE is a great application and is very diverse and that is what makes it a little challenging. I have enjoyed putting it all together and many thanks to the people who have worked so hard to make it what it is. Any help will be appreciated, I am sure it is something simple. Thanks,Randy

Once you have a template created, you can go into the Setup Wizard, and select your new device template in the A/V devices section.

You then specify how the audio and video connections to the reciever are connected, this sets up the appropriate pipes. If you do not connect this to a tuner, then it is assumed that LMCE will handle switching your A/V device's inputs, and it will create a new media scenario button (LiveTV DirectTV), which when you press, will change the TV and reciever inputs, etc. Orbiter will also change to the LiveTV remote, so that you can control the cable box.

But to recap:

* Connect your directTV reciever to your TV and/or reciever, directly.* Make sure you have templates for your A/V gear the reciever is connected to* Add those devices in the A/V wizard. If any A/V devices depend on others, add those last.

Thanks so much for the help Thom. I have watched a lot of your videos and have found them very interesting. I really want to get along setting up my system but I keep having this nagging little problem that I can not seem to resolve. I have studied intently your previous answer and had found several areas that were not configured correctly. I also referenced the wiki topic on setting up a satellite TV STB. I have utilized the graphical pipe to establish the connections between the DirectTV H21-200 and a Mitsubishi TV. The H21-200 is controlled via a GC-100 under the Generic IR device, 2:2. Once I got this all set up a new menu appeared on my orbiter labeled "Live TV" DirectTV. I select that menu and it takes me to a remote control screen. Unfortunately, none of the controls work. When I press LinuxMCE TV the whole screen flashes for about a second and returns to the previous screen. I must have a problem with the linkage between the orbiter remote control and the IR transmitter. When I go to infrared codes on the advanced menu I can control the STB without difficulty. I know frustration makes for good learning but the wife is getting upset that I am spending all my time off at the computer and not working on the honey do list. Any help would be appreciated and as always forgive me for being a total noob.

Yes, just like in rndinokc's case - test commands work, but the orbiter's remote doesn't. When in orbiter's "Media" I go to "Cable", a remote control appears, but none of it's controls work. Hitting the "Resend A/V codes" button brings a list of the devices that are involved in the current scenario, but none of them goes on even when directly clicked on. On the other hand, when I click the "Advanced" button near one the listed devices, and click the commends there I get a proper respons.

As it turns out I was never able to get it to work. Has to do with the advent of 7.10. The linkages between the orbiter remotes and the GC100 were broken. I had to use ir usb which worked great. I am now able to utilize the remote without any problems. I have other plans for the GC100 in the future such as opening the garage door etc. so all is not lost.

I never did try it on 8.10, I have wondered if it might work. I was thinking about doing some experimentation with 8.10 when the beta comes out. I lack the knowledge to work with the Alpha at this point. I know it is a bummer that it don't work. My gosh I spend nearly four whole days trying to figure it out. Learned alot but it was pretty painful. Fortunately, the IrUSB seems to work great and with very minimal installation issues. I did get some of this information from nite_man who seemed to be quite knowledgeable and had the same thing happen to him. I don't know what the status of the issue is at this point.